a personal account

Category Archives: wild flowers

I am beginning to recruit for next year’s cohort of my project, ‘Tomorrow’s Natural Leaders’. We really struggled to recruit last year in Ryedale (where there are 6 vacancies) so I wondered if you could please pass this opportunity on to any conservation volunteers, friends or relatives to help raise awareness of this amazing opportunity for young people (age 16 – 24) looking to start a career in the conservation / countryside management sector.

Placements will run from September 2017 – August 2018 and the deadline for applications is 30th June. Detailed information about the vocational placements including how to apply can be found on our website here:

I have to say somthing about these photos it says so here goes. Its a bugger when you have to spend your time in such a stunning spot as the Derwent river, the Ayton end of the boardwalk had become over grown with bramble and weeds so ConVols to the rescue. As I understand it RWCE are taking over the responsibility for the boardwalk soon, the ConVols will miss working in this beautiful spot and are a bit jealous. The ConVols were a major contributor to the creation of this boardwalk. I can well remember starting work on the other end in poring rain,with three groups one passing the timber over the river, the second catching and stacking while the third started on the frame work, nowhere dry to sit for lunch and soaking feet all day . I enjoyed our time building it!!

Hello good people ,Wow what a week of ups and downs. The ConVols had a rare split task this week, first to collect brash and chip it at Millennium wood and then bring it to the meadow for our gate . While 3 of us went onto the Raincliffe meadow to prepare the ground helping Pete Wilson of Thorne Park farm and his big red tractor.

Unfortunately problems with the chipper stopped work on the gate but at least its ready. While we were waiting for the other volunteers to join us in Raincliffe we decided to have a look at the new wetland ,what a surprise the lower three scrapes were almost empty ,so we set about clearing its feeder stream .As the other volunteers joined us we were able to clear more of the stream, low and behold two of us found an old Belfast sink, that had been put in by a previous owner to feed his cattle . Sadly I dont think that will be enough, the banks that we created are behaving like large radiators pulling water out of the ponds as it evaporates out of the bank. We also have a problem with dogs jumping in and pushing their paws through the clay lining and I suppose the Deer will do the same. Solutions I here you shouting well its going to be a bit of fun ,first we will change the way the pond fill each other and use angled pipe to supply the water to the lower ponds , puddle the clay with spades and use a form of pond liner take a breath oh and all the rest of tree planting, training and our weekly tasks .I feel some “ special events “comming up soon .Have a good week

Hello good people of the Sun. Next week we are working on a strange and unusual task .CHIPPING COOL. .We are splitting the dy in two the first half will be in Millennium Wood then on to the Meadow for the afternoon. We are chipping already felled timber and using the chips to dry out the West gate in the Meadow. This is our busiest time of year and we need Volunteers out to help us ,so if you can come please come along WE NEED YOU

Its been a busy week for the ConVols, working on the beautiful south cliff gardens, cutting back overgrown trees and bushes. We were meant to be collaborating with a local friends group but for some reason they decided not to come out and help, someone came and took some photos at the end but no one helping.

It was a bit of a strange task to work on, we had been asked if we could cut down some small trees and bushes to improve a path. At first the Vols dragged the brash up to the road to fill a skip, when it got full we used a tractor to push it all down. In the meantime we pulled all the brash up onto the grass. Then we discovered the tractor had a grab so we pulled it all down onto the path too be picked up and taken away. The volunteers were not at all impressed by the Council garden employees standing around watching a group of (in some cases) elderly Volunteers struggle.

We shall certainly have to have a task review and more site inspections to help eliminate these things happening again.

Friday was another kettle of fish all together and I want to thank every one that came and supported us with Capt. Peter Cocker’s memorial. Late Thursday having had a full day and was sat relaxing for the evening a harbinger of doom came on the TV and told every one that the next day was going to be rubbish. Rain,hail,snow and wind the man said in a far too cheery tone. He was having some fun he had to be! Didn’t he know we had a git big tree to put in and have a memorial service Memo to self get the Gazebo. So the day dawns and the forecast was right I open the curtains to a snow storm and I start to panic about just getting there never mind if anyone was coming at half two. The memorial sign had been delivered the day before with relief all round so we were set to get wet. I drove to Daves house to pick him up and then to the council depot to pick up our gear and get the plaque made into a sign, thank you SBC. Dave and I made our way up to the Meadow and as soon as we started the long of road clime of over a mile we knew it would be a miracle if we got there, the track was like an ice rink but we made thanks to a marvellous Kia Soul . I managed to get within a hundred feet of the Meadow gates and Dave and we unloaded the car of gazebo and tools. A kind person from SBC had delivered the tree to the gate. David carried the gazebo and I got the tools and off we went . Gazebo up, hole dug and with Sammie’s help we got the Heavy standard Hornbeam over all the mud. 2.30 came and we remembered Peter a lovely man with out whom the ConVols owe a huge debt of gratitude. After the ceremony I showed Mrs Cocker around the beautiful blue bell glade that the ConVols are naming after Capt.Pete. Below are some pics of the memorial and with Capt.Peters good friend another Capt. Peter

We all got wet but poor dave looked a bit like a drowned rat when we were finished mind you having to push the land rover out did not help

Its chain saw training this week starting at Manor road Depot then for the rest of the week on the meadow giving our Arboretum plot a good thinning. On Wed those Vols that are not training are working at Millennium woods cutting back all the overgrown brush.

Thank you all for coming out and giving an extra day on the Meadow. This large plot of bramble was just a small plot a few years ago but has gradually expanded taking out two paths. We will rake this off and ready it to be reintegrated into the flower meadow as a wet flush